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Kevin Magnussen placed the Haas VF-18 fourth on the final day of F1 preseason testing in Spain. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Haas leaves F1 test in high spirits

Kevin Magnussen piloted the VF-18 to fourth on timing monitor

March 1, 2018

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Kevin Magnussen propelled the Haas Formula 1 team to fourth on the timing charts on Thursday as preseason testing drew to a close.

Haas endured a difficult second season in F1, but the past week has provided a degree of optimism for 2018 with Magnussen’s fast lap.

“It was a very good day,” Magnussen said. “We got a lot of laps and, finally, the weather decided to behave. It was nice to feel the car and get the first touch of the car’s balance and performance. I’m looking forward to continuing the work next week. We’re happy with what we’re seeing and we have something to work with.”

The Dane had 132 of the 187 laps completed by the team over four weather-disrupted days and was the quickest of those who turned laps on the red-walled super-soft tire compound.

Team principal Guenther Steiner was happy to end the test on a positive note after losing Wednesday to snow and rain.

“A solid day,” Steiner said. “I think it’s a good end to a difficult testing session. The first few days were compromised by the weather, but today we got 96 laps in. We made some progress and we understand the car a little bit better. Next week we need to start from where we are now, get better and then work toward being ready for Australia.”

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